"The hell's going on out there?!"
Wham! A fist slammed onto a table set up in the middle of a cloth tent.
The clenched fist belonged to a male deity. The followers of Ares cowered in
fear of their leader's infuriated howls as his golden mane sparkled in the dim
light.
"Just as I said, our warriors are being captured by Orario's forces. Out of our
original thirty thousand troops, at least ten thousand are now in the hands of the
enemy."
"I know that! What I'm asking you is why! Why, Marius?"
"Because Orario's adventurers are stronger than the monsters in our worst
nightmares, that's why."
The human the god had called Marius remained surprisingly calm in the face
of Ares's rage. Every one of his simple, straightforward answers was
accompanied by a long sigh.
They were in Ares Familia's main base.
Far from the battles taking place against Orario's Alliance, near the Deep
Forest Seoro, a meeting attended by Rakia's top generals was taking place.
However, it had deteriorated into a useless, one-sided shouting match the
moment that Ares had learned of the horrid state of their forces.
"Considering the injured and our captured allies, there is no hope for the front
lines to stand their ground, let alone press forward. To make matters worse,
merchants have been draining our war funds left and right…"
"Those bastards…DAMN YOU ORARIOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Ares reared back his head and roared at the ceiling of the tent. Marius, on the
other hand, let out another long sigh. The rest of the generals were so scared of
their god that only Marius, the highest-ranking mortal present, was able to utter
negative comments.
The human's honey-colored hair was a far cry from the god's brilliant lion's
mane. However, he stood 180 celch tall and had a decently muscular build that
wasn't too thick or too thin. He certainly looked like he belonged among royalty.
Still only twenty years old, if he weren't tired and at his wits' end, his handsome
features matched with a full suit of armor would make this military commander
a dignified knight on the battlefield.
His pride as their commander had been entirely crushed by repeated failures
in the battle against the Alliance—his grudge against their god was threatening
to come to light, mood worsening by the second. Willing himself to remain calm,
he sighed yet again.
"I'm sure you're aware, but we can't continue this war, now can we? Let's go
home, Lord Ares. If you've learned your lesson, please stop this pointless
invasion of Orario."
"GRAH…! Marius, you insolent coward! And your father, Martinus, always
obeyed my every command without question!"
"—That's what earned him the nickname 'Moronic King'—by trying to make
your every whim a reality, dammit!"
"H-how dare you speak to me that way?! I'm this close to revoking your rank
and exiling you from the kingdom!"
"You won't have to. I'll surrender this position right now! That way you
won't care if I leave the country and fulfill my dream of becoming an adventurer
in Orario, right?"
"I refuse. You will do no such thing!"
"So which is it?"
"My prince!" "My prince!" The other generals sensed their red-faced young
commander was about to lash out and quickly moved to restrain him.
The crown prince of Rakia had been brought along for this invasion to
provide him with valuable experience on the battlefield. The young second-incommand of Ares Familia frowned, a face the envy of every man in his kingdom
twisting in an expression of anger as the argument between him and their god,
practically a daily ritual at this point, continued to escalate.
With a spirit so strong that it called the fidelity of the queen into question, the
prince unloaded all his frustration and anger onto the warmongering god.
"Wake up…! No matter what we do, Garon's attempt to bring Welf Crozzo
back into the fold has failed. In fact, the Guild is demanding money to secure the
release of Garon and his men. Our safety net is gone. Dragging out this war is
pointless."
"GRAHHHH…!"
Marius had finally cooled off to the point that he could look Ares in the eye
and state the facts. The deity roared back.
It was true. The strategy to obtain Crozzo Magic Swords, their trump cards,
was no longer on the table. The war had lost its meaning. Ares's vision of using
Welf's power to revive their magic-sword battalion and trap the Alliance forces
in a pincer attack was now nothing more than a dream beyond a dream.
Marius had never believed that plan would succeed from the start. He wanted
nothing more than to retreat as he locked eyes with the God of War…However,
the only emotion in the deity's glaring red eyes was an intense desire to not lose.
"All right, fine, then—I will go into Orario myself!"
"WHAT?!"
"If you worthless excuses for soldiers can't get the job done, I will personally
acquire those swords with my own hands! With them at our side, the glory days
of the past will once again be in our grasp…!"
"Don't tell me you're planning to kidnap Welf Crozzo? He's Level Two!
Raising a hand against him would be suicide! Instant death, I tell you!"
"Enough of that instant-death talk! The target is not the Crozzo boy, it's his
goddess—Hestia!"
Apart from Marius, every general in the tent stood wide-eyed and slackjawed at Ares's plan to kidnap a deity.
"It's just one tiny goddess. I'm sure you maggots can take her from one place
to another, right? So, I lead a strike force, we capture her, and we demand Welf
Crozzo in a hostage exchange with Orario! Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha! It's so perfect, I
even surprise myself sometimes!"
"That is the worst, most underhanded ploy imaginable, and it came from your
mouth! How the hell do you plan on getting inside the wall in the first place—?"
"How could I have been so blind; this should have been the plan from the
start! If the king—no, the god—doesn't lead his men, they cannot follow!
Marius, prepare my horse! We leave under cover of darkness, before that
dreadful Freya and her lot know what's coming!"
"That fool, that divine imbecile…!"
It was impossible to sway the divine king's mind once he made a decision.
The other generals quickly jumped to their feet and began preparations. Their
youthful commander frowned as he followed the golden-haired god out of the
tent at a run.
And so it was that the army of Rakia launched its last gambit at the behest of
its god.
The final battle to decide the outcome of this war was at hand. Orario's
patrols, few and far between and practically sleeping on the job, were completely
unprepared for an attack so reckless, so crazy that no one could predict its
descent on the city.
Today is just as peaceful as any other day inside the city walls.
The sun is shining brightly overhead on a morning when, unlike usual, the
army of Rakia is fighting outside the city wall. Word is that they're trying to
draw out the war.
I make my way quickly through the hallways of my home, listening to the
birds singing outside the windows, when I spot someone just up ahead and call
out to her.
"Miss Haruhime."
Her golden, fluffy fox tail is wagging back and forth beneath the skirt of her
maid outfit.
She's holding a large basket in both arms, pressing it up against her chest as
she looks over her shoulder at me.
"Master Bell. Good morning to you."
A beautiful smile appears on her cute face as the fox ears on top of her head
bow to me because she can't bend over with the basket in her arms.
It's still early, before breakfast. The smells wafting up from the kitchen are
making me hungry, while Haruhime attends to the housework before we go into
the Dungeon. The basket is filled with the freshly washed laundry for everyone
in the familia. She's on her way outside to hang it all up to dry.
I say good morning and walk right up next to her.
"Do you need any help? I'd be glad to lend a hand."
"It—It's quite all right, Master Bell. This duty has been assigned to me; I
don't want it to take up any of your time…"
"It's no problem. Please let me help."
I quickly take the top half of the mountain of laundry in the basket off the
pile. Haruhime's hands are literally full, so she can't stop me.
She might have a Status, but carrying that many wet clothes must be a real
challenge. She looks back at me with timid eyes, insisting that she could do it by
herself. But I just smile at her and carry my half of the pile outside to help her
hang everything up.
Everything is set up in the inner courtyard next to the hallway. I help
Haruhime tie a clothesline from one wall to another in the place where the
afternoon sun will be strongest and start pinning clothes to it.
I leave all the laundry for the goddess, Lilly, Mikoto, and Haruhime to the fox
girl while I take care of Welf's and my own stuff. I know it can't be helped,
since both boys and girls of different races are living here together under one
roof, but I do everything I can to avoid looking at the girls' clothes on the other
side of the line. Haruhime is blushing, too. I doubt she'll hang any underwear
out here.
My cheeks are feeling a bit hot as well. Maybe talking with her will help
make this a little less awkward.
"Um, Haruhime? Are you getting used to living here?"
"Yes, I am. All thanks to Lady Hestia's, Lady Lilly's, Sir Welf's, and Miss
Mikoto's assistance."
She adds that of course I've been a great help as well and smiles with all her
heart.
It's not that empty, hollow smile she used to make while living in the
Pleasure Quarter. It's a gentle smile, so warm that it feels like the morning sun is
shining on me.
I smile back, my eyes almost closing at the same time. I'm glad I got to see
her real smile again today.
"Unfortunately…my inefficiency is always causing trouble for everyone…
just like Master Bell right now."
Suddenly that shining smile is replaced by clouds.
"Miss Haruhime, this is nothing…and no one feels that way."
"No, this is the only way for me to be useful. I must work harder; I must
improve…"
She doesn't seem to believe me. Looking away, her apologetic gaze falls onto
the courtyard lawn between us. She rubs her hands up and down the sleeves of
her maid outfit, tail listlessly drifting around her ankles.
Despite what she's saying, I know that she's working really hard. Probably a
little too hard.
Laundry, cooking, and cleaning, all on top of the Dungeon prowling. Not
only is she a big help around our home, she's also a dual supporter and sorcerer
in the Dungeon. She's not used to looking out for herself in the labyrinth, so I'm
sure being in that position in the back of our formation is incredibly stressful for
her.
The last of the laundry on the line, I turn to face her. Scratching the back of
my neck, I string some words together.
"Um, Miss Haruhime…I think you shouldn't push yourself so hard."
"Eh?"
"I remember back when I first joined the familia, I was determined to do as
much as I could around our home, cooking and cleaning, so that the goddess
didn't have to bother with it…"
Back when Hestia Familia was first formed, it was just the goddess and me.
I made money in the Dungeon and did the housework, just like what
Haruhime is doing right now. In the end, I was trying too hard and got sick,
which ended up causing more problems for the goddess.
The circumstances might be a bit different now, but there are times the body
can't keep up with what the mind wants to do. Having a Status doesn't change
that. I explain all this to Haruhime. She listens with a surprised look on her face.
"So, what I'm trying to say…How do I put this?"
I'm sure that speeches like this roll off Ouka's and Finn's tongues with no
problem. Compared to the other familia leaders, this is pathetic…Even so, I put
my thoughts into words.
"…Rather than push yourself, I'd be happier seeing you…asking for help."
I smile, my face burning again.
I wish I could wrap this up with some kind of inspiring speech, but it's not
coming. I scratch my cheek.
She looks at me with quivering eyes, her hands together over the feminine
curves in the top part of her maid outfit.
Her eyes start to water, almost as if her spirit has been washed clean by what
I said…Her cheeks have taken on a light-pink hue.
"W-well, then…May I ask for Master Bell's help right now?"
She's looking up at me through her lashes, almost like she's shy. Even her
voice sounds a bit slow, spacey.
She's taking my advice! This is great, I'm so happy! Suddenly, she holds out
her right arm.
"Would it be all right if you…held my hand…?"
"Huh?"
I blink a few times. Where did that request come from?
I freeze in place, but I'm very aware of the heat pulsing in my cheeks. Sweat
running down my face, I try to find the right words to politely decline…Even so,
she doesn't take her hand back, waiting and blushing even darker.
Looking at her fox ears and tail twitching like that, I kinda feel sorry for her.
What should I do? I really have no idea, but even so, I extend one trembling
hand and take hold of her thin fingers.
"Ah…"
They're cold.
Not just cold, Haruhime's fingers are freezing.
It's already summer, too…Probably doing everyone's laundry this morning
chilled her to the bone.
I move my fingers to encompass her entire hand out of reflex, and I see her
shoulders rise. Her whole body is quivering, right down to her tail.
"W-would asking you…to use both hands…be acceptable…?"
"Um, sure…"
I grant her request right away.
I bring up my left hand and hold her cold right hand against both of my
palms. Then she puts her left hand outside of my right, our hands overlapping
like a double handshake.
…What…is this?
Her trembling has stopped. She closes her eyes and squeezes my hands as if
to absorb every bit of their warmth. Her cheeks—and mine—are bright red.
My heart rate picks up, but my mind starts slowing down, drifting.
"—What do you think you're doing, Haruhime?"
"Gasp!"
I've been holding her hands for about a minute.
Suddenly, a frighteningly low voice calls out her name from nearby. She
almost jumps out of her skin.
It catches me by surprise, too. I look over and there's the goddess, standing
with her legs shoulder width apart, arms at her sides, and glaring right at us.
"HIYAA!" She jumps forward, twin black ponytails whipping behind her like
ocean waves as she delivers a knife-hand strike to our hands.
Ouch!!
Haruhime and I break apart immediately.
"Bell might have brought that on himself, but you're quite the troublemaker,
Haruhime. I'm going to have to keep an eye on you whether I like it or not,
aren't I?"
"L-Lady Hestia! This is a misunderstanding! There's no deeper meaning…!"
"No deeper meaning? That burning-red face of yours says otherwise!"
Haruhime might have grown up with a silver spoon in her mouth and not
know much about the real world, but that innocence seems to have gotten under
the goddess's skin. I can feel the anger emanating from her.
Her blue eyes glaze over in a flash of fury directed at the renart, forgetting all
about me for the moment. But those thrashing ponytails…I can't move—part of
it could be that she saw my pathetic attempt at being the leader. It's so
embarrassing! My silence triggers Haruhime into a series of gestures,
desperately trying to explain the situation.
Once she gets to the part about my telling her to ask for help, the goddess's
blue gaze shifts in my direction. Surprisingly, Lady Hestia makes a gentle face
and crosses her arms as soon as Haruhime finishes.
"Oh, I see. Well, nothing we can do about that—."
"Th-then you're willing to overlook this…!"
"—Is what you thought I was going to say, HUHHHHHHHHH?"
"M-m-m-my deepest apologies!"
Lady Hestia is halfway through an exaggerated, bighearted nod when she
suddenly thrusts both fists high into the air in a feint of epic proportions.
Haruhime recoils in fright, shrinking back with her hands covering her head. The
goddess is waving her fists in the air, her breasts, even bigger than Haruhime's,
jumping about in sync with her flailing.
Something seems missing in this interaction between a former member of the
nobility and the furious goddess.
"Haruhime…I forgot to mention this before, but there are rules in my familia.
Of course impure relationships between boys and girls are off limits, but that
includes holding hands!"
"Ehhhh?"
The goddess's words hit Haruhime like a brick wall.
But, um, this is the first time I've heard that rule…
I've got a feeling that not being allowed to take hold of each other's hands
might cause problems in the Dungeon…
"I was one of the top three virgin goddesses of Tenkai! Morals are important
and will be protected!" the goddess declares. Haruhime doesn't know what to
do; she just keeps glancing between Lady Hestia and me until her head droops.
"I have no excuse, Lady Hestia…I shall be more careful in the future."
"Good. As long as you understand, that's fine."
Haruhime looks really depressed as the goddess solemnly nods above her.
She makes herself as small as possible, saying that she will obey the rules of
the familia and turns her back to me Wait, what's that?
A flash of gold coming from below her waist. Her tail zips toward me.
It wraps itself around my wrist like it has a mind of its own.
"…"
"…"
"…"
Her soft tail squeezes my wrist a few times, while the goddess and I stand
there completely silent.
Haruhime's body language is so downtrodden and compliant, but the fox ears
on top of her head are flicking around in all directions.
"HIYAA!"
"EEEEEK!"
The goddess's second knife-hand strike knocks Haruhime's tail to the floor.
The renart girl lets out a cry.
Lady Hestia descends on her like a raging inferno. Haruhime's on her hands
and knees, bowing over and over while apologizing with all her might. I take in
the spectacle, sweating under the early summer morning sky.
"Is everyone listening? I won't tell you not to form relationships, but morals
must be respected."
The goddess has gathered everyone together after breakfast and makes an
announcement.
We're in the manor's spacious living room. All of us were summoned to the
main table before going into the Dungeon.
Today is the goddess's first day off from her part-time job in a while. She
makes eye contact with each of us, one by one.
"So that's why opposite genders are forbidden to physically touch each other.
Hand-holding is a definite no-no."
"That's tyranny!"
The goddess's eyes were closed as the words rolled off her tongue. However,
Lilly is quick to object.
Haruhime, the one who caused this meeting, looks really sorry. Still dressed
in her maid outfit, she served tea to everyone before quietly taking a seat in her
chair, trying to stay as unnoticed as possible.
Well, all familias have rules that are decided by their gods and goddesses, and
this seems to be one of them…but I think that forbidding physical contact
between boys and girls is going a bit too far…
"In that case, Lady Hestia is also subject to this rule, yes? Lady Hestia must
never touch Mr. Bell or Mr. Welf for any reason!"
"I-I'm a goddess!"
"That doesn't matter! How can a goddess expect her followers to obey a rule
that she won't obey herself?"
She's right—my Status will never be updated! Other objections flow in from
around the table, asking her not to make such strange rules out of the blue as
Lilly and the goddess's argument spreads like wildfire.
Mikoto is just as riled up as I am; I can see the sweat rolling down her cheek.
Welf sighs to himself.
"A-anyway, all unnecessary contact is forbidden. That includes relationships
with members of other familias!"
"Huh?!"
That last bit got my attention real quick.
"What's with your surprise, Bell? That should be common sense. Does this
mean there's someone you like in a different familia? And even if so, there's no
way you'd want to be in a relationship with her, right?"
"No, well, that's…that's not what I meant…"
Wow, her words were sharp. How can I respond to that?
Getting involved with someone in a non-friendly familia, basically having a
forbidden love, only puts the familia in danger. What she's saying is absolutely
right, it is common sense. It's obvious, but even so…
I look around the table, and surprisingly Lilly's gone quiet. She was so
adamant before, too. Haruhime is glancing uncomfortably between the goddess
and me while Welf's rubbing the back of his neck. "Here we go again…" he says
under his breath.
Well, he's not wrong…
I look down at the table and give up trying to object to the goddess's rule.
"If I may, does this precedent also apply to deities?…As in, is it wrong to
harbor feelings for one of them?"
Mikoto slowly raises her trembling hand.
Her cheeks have gone red, too. All of us, the goddess included, are caught off
guard by her question.
"Oh, that's right. You have a thing for Také…"
"I-I'm not asking just about Lord Takemikazuchi! I-I just…!"
"I'm not one to get in the way of that! Actually—that's it!"
A light flicks on in her eyes. She must've thought of something. Even her
twin black ponytails flip into the air.
"That should be encouraged! Deities and children forming couples sounds
great to me! Of course, there are a few deities who should be avoided at all costs,
but nice ones like Také, I see no problem with that at all!"
"C-couple…?"
I shrink back in my chair as the goddess's voice goes up an octave, the words
spewing out of her mouth.
Haruhime still isn't used to the goddess's vocabulary and tilts her head in
confusion. Lady Hestia turns to me, her eyes sparkling.
"It's just like those stories from before we came down to Gekai! Many
romances happened between fairies and children! Isn't that right, Bell? Don't
you think having that dream sounds wonderful?"
"Um, s-sure…"
All I can do is nod with all the attention suddenly on me.
Romances between fairies and humans or demi-humans are a common thread
in stories dating back to the Ancient Times.
Unfortunately, most of those fairy tales and stories of heroes end in tragedy.
I pause for a moment to collect my thoughts, but Lilly jumps out of her chair
with something important to say.
"Don't be fooled, Mr. Bell! Being with a deity is a recipe for disaster! Age is
a foreign concept to immortals, and their love is intense! Death will become the
only escape from a clingy relationship that will last until the end of your days!"
"Hey! What do you think we are?"
Lilly passionately refused to even consider talking about a romance involving
the gods of Deusdia. Once her rant comes to an end, Lady Hestia looks at Welf.
"Any thoughts?"
"I think…what you're saying is right, Lady Hestia."
"Seriously, Mr. Welf?"
"There's no need to call it a 'forbidden love' or anything like that. Deities
take care of us, show their affection their own ways. If they want to change the
nature of the relationship, then it's not all that weird. At the very least, that's
what I'd like to have happen."
Lilly's jaw drops. Even I'm surprised by Welf's confession.
"Huh? I didn't know you had a thing for goddesses, Welf…"
"I only have eyes for Lady Hephaistos."
"Oh-oh-oh! Yes, children with that kind of straightforward mind-set are so
rare these days! Welf, I'm rooting for you!"
"Th…anks?"
I remember hearing something about that on the eighteenth floor when he
was talking with Tsubaki…This is quite a shock. Hestia is beaming at him,
enthusiastically patting him on the shoulder, since Welf is sitting right next to
her.
He's so much taller than she, and yet he just sits there, watching with
confusion as the goddess shows no signs of slowing down.
"Did you hear that, Bell? The power of love can break down barriers between
races and gods!"
She's beside herself with joy as I sink into my chair as far as possible.
When did this meeting become about mortals having relationships with gods?
The ones agreeing with the goddess are the calm, cool, and collected Welf
and the blushing Mikoto.
Of course the still-standing Lilly, as vocal as ever, is against it. I can't get a
good read on Haruhime. She's saying nothing either way, but judging by the
look on her face, I'd say she doesn't agree with the goddess.
The familia is split into two camps, and the goddess is looking at me with
expectation in her eyes.
"So, Bell, what do you think?"
"M-me…?"
"Y-yes…Like, say if I were a different familia's goddess and—Oh, no no no
no no no!"
Her face turns beet red, her hands waving back and forth. "A-hem!" She
clears her throat.
Then she directs her unblinking gaze onto me.
"If another goddess offered you her love…what would you do?"
The living room goes silent, the goddess's question hanging in the air.
Everyone is waiting for my answer. Lilly gulps and leans forward in her seat.
Welf and Mikoto appear interested as Haruhime looks on, her restless tail
twitching behind her.
Just like Lilly, the goddess waits with bated breath, her mysterious blue eyes
locked on me.
I have to say something before the atmosphere gets too heavy to breathe.
"I'd, um, turn her down…"
There was nothing to think about. It was just a matter of getting the words
out.
The goddess flinches.
Lilly's and Haruhime's eyes fly open. Welf and Mikoto look genuinely
surprised, too.
Something about everyone's reactions feels…strange. I try to explain my
answer as the mood gets increasingly uncomfortable.
"I just don't think about goddesses that way…I'd be happy, sure, but it
doesn't make any sense. It'd be too overwhelming."
A relationship with a deusdea? They're not like us—they're gods.
Welf and Mikoto seem to have a different opinion on the matter, shockingly
so…But, yeah.
They're special beings who should be revered, worshipped, and respected.
I'm more than happy to interact with them as part of a familia, as a "child" of
Gekai, and as a member of their family, but…I believe there's a line that
shouldn't be crossed.
"B-Bell…"
The goddess's body language changes so quickly I can practically hear the
slam of her mood hitting rock bottom.
Her face is down; her entire body is shaking…She rockets to her feet.
"Bell, you moron—!"
"G-Goddess—?"
She dashes toward the living room door at full speed, her voice still echoing
around the living room.
She covers her eyes with her forearm, and I watch her run out into the hall,
leaving the door open behind her. She just keeps going, all the way up to the
front entrance and through the gate.
I'm halfway out of my chair, ears still ringing.
"Bell…you're denser than I thought."
"Huh? B-but…goddesses are goddesses…!"
From the living room window, I catch a glimpse of her running down the
street. Welf comes over to me as I'm trying to decide if I should give chase or
not.
Even I can hear the confusion in my voice as Lilly and the girls come to join
us.
"You make a valid point, Sir Bell. There are people who respect deities,
but…"
"Yes, but the same is true of many devout followers…"
Mikoto sounds like she's having difficulty choosing her words, and Haruhime
looks just as confused. Even Welf is glaring at me—"Why'd you have to go that
far?"—as if all of them seem to think my opinion of deities isn't normal.
They're not criticizing me, but I feel like the odd man out here.
"If, just if…Just as an example."
A few moments of heavy silence pass. Then Lilly looks up at me.
"Just on the off chance that perhaps Lady Hestia secretly has feelings for a
human here on Earth…Mr. Bell's choice of words might have hurt her feelings."
It took her a while to get to the point. I watch her eyebrows sink on her face
as my eyes get wider with every word.
"…Hey, Bell."
Welf was watching me from the side and speaks up.
"What are you so afraid of?"
"…!"
I can't breathe.
Welf's question cuts right through me. My hands clench into fists before I
know it.
After a few more heartbeats pass, I still don't have an answer for him. I look
away from everyone.
"…I'll go find her."
I leave the living room like a prisoner escaping from jail.
I feel their eyes on me, but no one says anything as I race out the door.
"Li'l E, you sure that was a good idea? Sayin' that."
After Bell had left the room, the remaining four members of Hestia Familia
stared at the open door for a few moments before Welf turned to face Lilly.
"…Lilly doesn't care. Lady Hestia is our goddess as well. Things will never
settle down without straightening this out…and she's always sticking her nose
into Lilly's business, like the other week."
Welf wanted to make sure that she was okay with helping her rival. Although
she whispered the last part under her breath, she turned to answer him right
away.
Mikoto and Haruhime knew immediately Lilly wasn't being completely
honest and grinned wryly. However, their slight grins were on the verge of
bursting into laughter.
Welf couldn't hold back a smile, either.
"Well, I guess this means Dungeon prowling ain't happening today."
"I believe so, too."
Mikoto nodded after Welf's proposal. There weren't any objections.
The boy and the goddess would make amends soon enough, and they wanted
to be at home to welcome them back.
I go into the city to look for the goddess.
Lots of adventurers are already on their way to the Dungeon, making the
streets lively and crowded. Even everyday citizens are busy setting up their
shops, and the horse-drawn taxis are starting to flow in and out of the main
routes throughout the city.
The sky above Orario is clear again today. However, there is a cluster of gray
clouds gathering to the north. The mountains up there might get some rain today,
I think to myself as I weave my way in and out of traffic at a slow run.
There aren't any clues as to where the goddess went after leaving home. I
can't exactly comb the city until I find her; it's much too big for that.
I can't get the look she had on her face out of my head. Lilly's words are
replaying over and over. Ignoring the sharp pain in my chest, I ask storeowners
and passersby if they've seen a young-looking goddess come through this way.
"Oh…? Well, if it isn't Bell."
"That's him all right. Hey, Bell!"
"Ah…Lord Miach and Lord Hermes?"
I come across the two gods by coincidence when I'm halfway through the
Western Block.
Lord Miach is pushing a four-wheeled cart full of potions and other items
while Lord Hermes is wearing his usual wide-brimmed feathered hat. He
must've snuck away from Asfi because I can't see her anywhere. She usually
shadows him like a bodyguard.
One deity with long navy-blue hair, the other one with shorter, vibrant orange
hair, and both so handsome that I wouldn't be surprised if an artist had carved
their faces out of stone. I say good morning to them but can't help thinking this
is an unusual pairing.
"May I ask what you're doing this far out on a side street?"
"Well, I've just been offered a part in a scheme. This man here would like to
use my familia's wares to make an easy valis or two, and I was trying to find a
way to turn him down."
"Oi, oi! Miach! Why do you have to say something like that? I'm not
scheming at anything!"
Lord Miach says it all with a grin on his face, but he's holding back a laugh.
There's no hint of seriousness in his voice. Lord Hermes is laughing, too, so it
was probably just a joke. I've heard that Hermes Familia is like a jack-of-alltrades. Whether it's Dungeon prowling, a delivery service, or economic ventures,
they'll try anything to turn a profit. He probably wanted to ask Lord Miach some
business questions.
I feel a smile growing on my lips when suddenly I remember why I'm here.
So I ask the two of them.
"Hestia? Hmmm, sorry, Bell. I haven't seen her."
"Same here. Sorry I'm not much help."
"I-it's not a problem. Thanks for listening, but I should get going…"
I stutter an apology and bow my head. I'm about to turn my back and leave
when, at that moment—
"Bell."
Lord Miach gets my attention, his calm gaze looking right through me.
"If you're not in a rush, we'll listen."
"Huh…?"
"We'll offer you some advice, Bell. There's something on your mind, isn't
there?"
Lord Miach smiles as I look back at him in shock. Lord Hermes is grinning
with his eyes.
…They read me like an open book; they can see into my heavy heart. Then
again, maybe I'm not that hard to figure out.
The two gods look down at me like fathers watching over their child. I
hesitate for a few heartbeats. In the end, I avoid telling them what happened at
the manor but go straight to the question at hand.
Are deities capable of love? More specifically, how do they feel about us
mortals?
"Lord Miach, Lord Hermes…Do you—do gods fall in love with people? As
in, do you become more than friends, something like lifelong partners…?"
My eyes trace the patterns in the stone pavement beneath my feet while I
speak. I see the two gods share a glance out of the corner of my eye.
Their expressions brighten, as if that was all they needed to figure out what
was going on. They start talking.
"It happens, for sure. We're surprisingly vulnerable to it, to tell the truth."
"I agree. I'm sure you remember Apollo, Bell? Look no further. For him,
love had no bounds."
Lord Apollo…The god we fought in the War Game.
Often called Phoebus, he once offered Hestia his hand in marriage. Apollo is
a god who loves too much.
"Once a child captures Apollo's interest, he loves them fully and deeply until
the end."
"Just like Miach was saying, that guy treasures everything through and
through…And whenever one of his children dies, he goes a bit overboard, even
for us."
This is all a big surprise for me.
"Over…board…?"
"For sure. Crying day in and day out for months on end. If said child wore
some kind of trinket, Apollo would wear it day and night. If a tree started
growing from where the child was buried, he would treat it like a holy site."
"I-I'm sure he didn't go that far…"
"Oh, he did."
I voice my doubt, but Lord Hermes laughs it off.
"But Takemikazuchi, on the other hand, he'd take a more fatherly role. Even
if a mortal girl loved him with all her heart, pursued his love to the ends of the
earth, I'm positive he would draw a line in the sand. He's not the type who can
make a woman truly happy."
"Hephaistos is a bit more complicated. For her, watching the growth in her
followers as smiths brings her the most happiness, kind of like a master artisan
watching her students come into their own. I don't know if she'd be able to take
a step beyond that. Her interactions with children are probably a mixture of
warmheartedness as a god and her feelings as a woman."
Lord Miach offers Lord Takemikazuchi as another example, and Lord
Hermes talks about Lady Hephaistos with a grin on his face.
They tell me about all the forms gods' love can take, whether it be an
inability to produce an offspring, a stubborn sense of paternal obligation, or the
guidance of a fellow artisan.
"Affection, simply paying attention, watching them come into their own like
a parent…Each of us has their own way of loving our children. There are some
of us who treasure their memories with children like you for all eternity and
others who forget right away and completely on the other side of the
spectrum, there is a Goddess of Beauty who's known to chase the souls of her
departed children all the way to the other side so she can keep them as her own."
Lord Hermes narrows his eyes, his gaze passing over me.
"Our way of loving might seem a bit warped, for lack of a better word.
Especially from your point of view, Bell."
"I-I wouldn't say that."
Lord Miach's grinning in my direction, but I quickly disagree with his
statement.
I disagree, but I can't flat-out reject it, either.
"…What about you, Lord Miach? Lord Hermes?"
The crowd swells for a moment, making it too hard to hear them.
I look at each of them in turn and ask as soon as the crowd moves on.
"Let me think…Takemikazuchi and I have a lot in common. I'd like to watch
my child find a partner, start a family, and be by their side…as a god, until they
move on to the next realm because I have feelings for them." Lord Miach looks
up at the blue sky as he speaks.
"Oi, oi, no need to put that much thought into it! You and Takemikazuchi
both? I keep all the ladies I like at my beck and call! Isn't that right, Bell? A
harem is a man's romance!"
As for Lord Hermes, I can't tell how serious he is with that twinkle in his eye
and joking tone in his voice.
"Are you still spouting that nonsense…?" Lord Miach casts his gaze on the
other deity, raising an eyebrow. I smile weakly at the fact that Lord Hermes was
expecting me to agree.
"—Bell. Our love lasts but a moment."
Then.
Lord Miach speaks to me with a gentle smile on his lips.
"Time has no meaning for us. Existing as long as we have, the feeling of
falling in love and maintaining that connection is over in the blink of an eye.
Many of us fall in love with children at first sight."
"For us, the whole thing is over in a flash. But for you mortals, it can last
your whole lifetime."
My eyes open wide as Lord Miach and Lord Hermes bring their thoughts to a
conclusion. They're immortal, and their time with us is very limited…Basically,
we're gone in a matter of seconds to them. It's one of the saddest things I've
ever heard, so why do both of them look so content?
"I won't say you have to, but…please accept a deity's feelings for you."
Lord Miach closes his eyes.
"Bell, you have a partner in mind, do you not?"
"I-I, um…"
"There is no need to apologize or grovel for being led in circles by a deity's
wishes. Follow your heart—that's enough."
My body starts trembling, when suddenly Lord Miach reaches out and—Pat.
He lightly pats my head.
"Just…have faith. That's all you need."
He continues speaking and ruffling my hair at the same time.
"I'm sure that many gods will be satisfied with that."
"…"
He adds one more thing: "Please don't run away from a deity's love."
I can decline it, I can accept it, but I must not be afraid of it. That look in his
eyes, the tone of his voice, it's like he can see right through me.
He stands a bit taller than me. So I look up into his gaze, my eyes quivering.
But no words come out, and I look at my feet.
Lord Miach doesn't say anything to put the blame on me or make me feel
guilty. He just silently stands there, gently patting my head. My eyes trace the
pattern of the stones again, my heart riding an emotional roller coaster.
Lord Hermes watches us with a smile. Neither of them pushes for any
answer, and I gladly accept their kindness. The three of us stand in silence.
"Damn that thick skull of his!"
Hestia held her tearful eyes high as she walked through the streets of Orario
at a brisk pace.
Passing through Central Park, she made her way onto North Main Street.
Careful to avoid the fully armored adventurers on their way to the Dungeon,
she'd traveled a great distance since storming out of the manor that morning.
"It's all because Bell has too much respect for deities. I mean, sure, it's great
being revered and all, but…!"
Her rambling voice was loud enough for anyone passing by to hear.
Oblivious to the fact that she was quickly becoming the center of attention,
Hestia voiced her grievances about Bell without slowing down.
"It's not like we're all that great! Slacking off the first chance we get,
cooping up in our rooms eating Jyaga Maru Kun…We get tired of keeping up
the godly image!"
No, that's just you. All the humans and demi-humans in earshot had the same
thought and the same expression as the youthful goddess passed by.
"'Other gods are so easily entertained, laughing at the simplest things! But
they're deities, so they must be revered!' That's exactly what you'd say, isn't it?"
"I-I would…?"
Hestia howled at an animal person, a complete stranger who was unfortunate
enough to be in her line of sight.
"He would, he would," the young goddess grumbled to herself, eyes closed
as she nodded. The citizens of Orario were used to the crazy ramblings of gods
and goddesses and went about their business without a second thought.
"You can open up to me, Bell! Don't apologize so much!…Have a spine,
would you?"
The words exploded out of her mouth before she whispered the last ones.
However, all her ramblings blended into the everyday noise of the busy
street.
"Stubborn, blockheaded rabbit head." Complaints and random words
continued to pour out of her mouth as Hestia stomped her way through the main
street.
"Oh! Hestia! Perfect timing!"
"Hnnh…? Boss lady?"
Sighing with every step, Hestia suddenly came to a halt when she heard
someone call her name.
Looking up, she saw a rather pudgy animal woman waving her arms by the
entrance to one of the side streets.
It was one of the women who worked at the same Jyaga Maru Kun street
stand as she did.
"Is something wrong?"
"Well, you see, the owner sent me out to pick up a shipment of herbs that we
use to make the potato puffs. It's outside the wall right now…"
"Herbs? Can't you just buy them at the market?"
"No, it's too expensive. And we're shorthanded as it is…"
The woman gave Hestia an apologetic bow as the goddess scratched her
cheek.
Today was supposed to be my day off, too…she thought to herself, but also
knew that there was nothing to do at home even if she did go back. She arrived
at the conclusion that she might as well help out.
Agreeing to help brought a smile to her coworker's face as she bowed again a
few more times.
"But you know, lady, I'm also the head of a familia, so I can't pass through
the city gate."
"Ah, forgot about that…"
Hestia remarked as the two of them pushed the cart full of boxes and other
tools straight north through the looming city wall and the gate built into it.
It was difficult for the adventurers of Orario, or anyone belonging to a
familia, including the head god or goddess, to leave the city.
That was because it would have a direct effect on Orario's battle strength as a
whole. Many problems would arise if, for some reason, high-level adventurers
who had honed their skills in the Dungeon—adventurers belonging to Loki
Familia, for example—were to leave the city and ally themselves with a rival
faction.
The main reason Orario was called the "Center of the World" was because
the world's most powerful individuals protected it. The Guild was extremely
alert to the constant threats to the city and the threat of losing the protection
provided by top-class adventurers to any of the surrounding countries. Therefore,
anyone belonging to one of the city's various familias—especially high-ranking
ones—had to go through a rigorous screening process and mountains of red tape
in order to pass through the gate. They were particularly strict with deities. Even
if their followers should leave the city, a hostage situation would surely follow if
enemy forces captured a god. With the one glaring exception of Hermes Familia,
it would be safe to say that no one could freely pass through the gate whenever
they wished.
Entering the city was simple; exiting was far more difficult.
It was one of Orario's unwritten rules that everyone who lived inside its walls
accepted.
"I'll go as far as the wall, but I can't help much after that…"
Hestia Familia was on the up and up and already recognized as a middleranking familia by the Guild. As the head of said familia, Hestia doubted that she
would be able to pass through the gate right away. The two of them arrived at an
open staging area where countless merchants and horse-drawn taxis lined up in
front of the gate as Hestia explained her situation.
In front of the imposing north gate, Guild employees, adventurers belonging
to familias that worked closely with them, and two gatekeepers were busy
inspecting the people attempting to pass through the barrier separating outside
from in. Should anyone try to go through the gate without a valid pass issued by
the Guild, they would be arrested and restrained on the spot.
Hestia and the woman she worked with joined a group of five more of their
coworkers waiting in line. It was still a small group for such a big job. Each of
them had their gate passes ready. However, the news that Hestia wouldn't be
much help made the animal woman put her hand to her cheek in contemplation.
This could be a problem.
—All of a sudden, the staging area came alive with cheers and applause.
"Huh?" muttered a surprised Hestia as she turned to have a look.
"It is I! I am Ganesha!"
"Oh, it's just Ganesha."
The god was unmistakable. His rich, masculine voice, combined with his
overwhelming presence, made him impossible to miss as he came in from
outside the gate.
His dark skin, long black hair, and perfectly toned muscles were one thing,
but the elephant mask hiding his face from view caught the most attention.
The god in command of the largest familia in Orario, its membership
including many upper-class adventurers, appeared on the scene. The citizens and
merchants present to witness his entrance welcomed him with smiles and
applause. Even Hestia's coworkers waited happily as the deity approached.
"Do I spy with my own eyes—Hestia?!"
"You don't have to announce your every thought to the world, Ganesha. But
why are you here? Wasn't your familia called out into battle?"
Ganesha's group approached Hestia, and he struck a bizarre pose.
"Dismount!" he yelled from his seat on top of a horse being led by two of his
followers, and hopped down to the stone pavement.
"It would take a long time to explain, but the war is coming to an end. So I
have returned."
"That didn't take long at all."
"I also brought the captured Rakian soldiers with me. There are so many that
we couldn't keep them all in the forward camps."
"Oh? But are you sure it's okay to be back here? Your familia is huge, the
backbone of the Alliance forces, isn't it?"
"There is no need to worry about the tide of battle! My strongest followers,
my ultimate fighters, are still holding the line! They deemed me to be a nuisance
and asked me to come back early!"
"Is that the way your children treat you?"
"Well, I am Ganesha!"
Ganesha's masculine voice thundered around the square as he struck yet
another unusual pose. Hestia was losing patience fast.
Hestia had been on good terms with many deities while in Tenkai and was
familiar with the mask-wearing god. It might be better to say that she couldn't
ignore his overwhelming presence and did her best to tolerate it.
She wasn't the only one. Ganesha's two bodyguards massaged their temples
as they endured their god's quirks. This time, Ganesha was the one to ask a
question.
"So then, Hestia, what brings you out this way?"
"Well, this and that and a few other things."
She gave him a quick summary. Ganesha smiled, his pearly white teeth
flashing in the sunlight.
"If that is the problem, I grant you permission myself! Go, Hestia, you may
pass!"
"Wait, Lord Ganesha!"
His bodyguards immediately turned to their god, objecting on the spot as
Hestia watched in surprise.
"What are you saying? We can't issue permission for something like this
behind the Guild's back…!"
"I am the God of the Masses, Ganesha! Jyaga Maru Kun are bundles of joy
that bring tears of happiness to the eyes of the people! Should they be unable to
eat a single one, tears of sadness will be shed this night! I cannot allow such a
travesty to befall the children!"
"Have you gone insane?" yelled one of his bodyguards as the two of them
tried desperately to reason with him, but Ganesha showed no signs of conceding.
Ganesha was definitely one of the most bizarre deities in Orario, but as the
cheers and applause erupting from the crowd around him proved, he was also
one of the most trusted. Faith in him ran deep.
As his title "God of the Masses" showed, the people of Gekai were rather
fond of Ganesha. His familia allied with the Guild, they were known for
assisting in many events around Orario, as well as providing security and
maintaining the peace. Even one of the guards standing at the north gate
belonged to Ganesha Familia, although he was trying to hide that fact at the
moment.
Ganesha's voice was easily heard over the din in the staging area, meaning
the guards heard every word. Their faces went blank.
"If the Guild finds out, they won't let this slide with a warning!"
"Then they don't have to know, Follower A!"
"They already know! How many of their employees do you think are here
right now? And my name is Modak!"
Quite a few sparks flew between the god and his bodyguards, but they were
unable to convince him to back down. The two gave up, their heads drooping in
silence.
Ganesha turned to Hestia and stuck his right thumb high into the air.
"Are you sure this is okay, Ganesha?"
"Of course. You are not a goddess with a taste for disorder but one who
brings cheer to the children of Gekai! Now, go!"
A beaming smile appeared beneath his elephant mask. Hestia blushed
awkwardly and gave him a thumbs-up in return.
Ganesha's bodyguards smiled tiredly as the frowning Guild employees
allowed Hestia to pass through the gate along with her coworkers.
"Lord Ganesha is one weird fellow, but I must say he's a great god!"
"Yeah, I guess. Hard on the ears, but a good guy."
Hestia chatted with the animal woman as they joined the line of merchants
and travelers heading through the colossal gate structure. Her coworkers were
still talking about the "unique" god in the elephant mask who had captured the
hearts of so many citizens when the group took its first step outside the city.
A vast green plain opened up in front of them on either side of the road
leading off into the distance. Mountains lined the distant horizon. A lush green
forest could be seen at their base.
It might rain soon, thought Hestia as she looked up at the clouds gathering in
the northern sky.
"I still can't believe you actually went through with this. What if we're
discovered…?"
"I'm restraining my divine aura. No one will be able to tell that I'm a god!"
"Keep your voice down! Trying to get inside during broad daylight with this
much security? Are you out of your mind…?"
A heated argument drifted into their ears.
Turning their heads, the group saw a line of people on the opposite side of the
gate waiting to go inside. At the front of the long, snaking line were two tall men
wearing hooded robes. Their faces were well hidden. Looking like travelers, they
blended in very well with the many people who wore the same style robe behind
them in line. For some reason, both voices were crackling with nervous energy.
Merchants in line behind the two men gave one another confused looks as
they listened to the conversation. "I suppose those types of people are
everywhere in the world…" remarked the animal woman next to Hestia. The
goddess, however, couldn't help but feel a little suspicious.
Then, when Hestia's group was about to walk past the hooded travelers…
""Huh?""
Her eyes met those of one of the men in the middle of the argument.
Strands of golden hair like a lion's mane were sticking out of his hood, and
she knew she'd seen red eyes like that somewhere before.
The power in his gaze made her come to a halt. He, too, fell silent with his
mouth half open.
Three seconds passed.
"—Ares?!"
"—Hestia?!"
The god and the goddess pointed at each other, yelling at the same time.
Hestia was stunned that she was face-to-face with the god who was trying his
damnedest to invade the Labyrinth City, and Ares couldn't believe his luck that
the target of his last-ditch plan had literally come to him.
Ares's red eyes flashed during Hestia's bout with disbelief.
He kicked off the ground, charging forward.
"Gotcha !"
"GuWAHHH!"
Ares lunged and tackled Hestia.
Eyes going wide, she was knocked out of the line of her coworkers by the
god's perfectly timed strike.
The two tumbled across the grass until Ares regained his footing and lifted
Hestia over his shoulder.
"BWAH-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA! Did you see that, Marius? Objective
complete!"
"N-no way…!"
Ares removed his hood as he called out to the human, Marius.
"Uwhhh…" The young goddess was barely conscious, her eyes spinning as
she lay bent over his shoulder. He roughly adjusted her position and looked back
at his followers.
"All forces, full retreat!"
With that, the "travelers" in the snaking line pushed their way out and took
off at full speed.
It was pandemonium. Of course, the guards came rushing to the scene right
away, but Marius led a counterstrike against them with sword in hand. The
guards were vastly outnumbered.
Screams erupted from the crowd.
"Mission complete! Fall back, fall back!"
Ares took one look at the battle before running away with Hestia firmly in his
grasp.
His allies—the soldiers of Rakia—broke off their attack and followed their
god.
"Oh, no! Hestia!"
Her coworkers screamed at the top of their lungs as they saw Ares mount a
horse like a valiant knight and race off into the distance.
"Where have you been, Lord Hermes?"
A woman with short aqua-blue hair roars at Lord Hermes. He's walking right
next to me, so seeing her storm up to us makes me jump back in surprise.
After talking for a little while, I thought it might be a good idea to keep
looking for the goddess. Lord Miach and Lord Hermes kindly offered their
assistance. I feel kind of guilty for dragging them into this, but there was no
reason to refuse their offer. So we'd been walking together for a little while
when Asfi, a member of Hermes Familia, shows up out of breath and angry as
hell.
Lord Hermes looks very uncomfortable as Asfi holds her glasses on her face
with one hand to keep them from falling off while she unleashes her tirade.
"You said to follow you, but then disappeared to who knows where…!"
"Well, um, you see, I heard something interesting and just…"
"Just what?"
"Ah, never mind. Sorry!"
Overwhelmed by his follower's fury, Hermes offers a flat apology, his face
glistening with sweat.
Only after gaining a moral victory over her god does Asfi notice we are here,
too. "My apologies for that unsightly display…" She bows to us as Lord Miach
and I smile weakly.
Straightening up, she adjusts her glasses over her blue eyes.
"If you don't mind my asking, what were you doing with this more-troublethan-he's-worth deity of mine?"
"Ehh, um…Well…"
An excessive amount of sweat rolls down my back as I start to explain the
situation, when suddenly…
The echoes of many hurried footsteps reach my ears.
"—What's that?"
What I see when I turn leaves me speechless.
There's a group of demi-humans in full armor and weapons, metallic clanks
echoing with every move.
What's more, there's a blond-haired, golden-eyed female knight among them.
"M-Miss Aiz?!"
"It's you…"
Aiz, saber in hand, responds to my startled cry.
She stops for a moment, and I get a clear view of her silver breastplate and
gauntlets. She's even equipped with shoulder armor. There's no doubt she's
dressed for battle. So are the other members of Loki Familia running with her.
I've never seen a group of battle-ready adventurers running through the city
streets in formation. The same must be true for Lord Miach, Lord Hermes, and
Asfi, because the tension in the air strikes all of us dumb.
Aiz looks directly at me, and I see her lips move.
"All of you, come with us."
"Itty-Bitty's been snatched!"
Orario, north gate.
Loki's voice echoed through the staging area in front of the gate on the north
edge of the city wall.
She was not alone. The general of her familia, the prum Finn, along with
several more of her followers and even a few gods, had gathered.
"That's right! Some strange god carried Hestia away…!"
"A group of Rakia's soldiers was mixed in with the travelers! They all
scattered as soon as Hestia was taken!"
The pudgy animal person and a Guild employee were on the verge of panic
as they explained the situation.
Everything had happened about ten minutes ago. Guild employees had been
dispatched to deliver the news all over Orario right away. It went without saying
Guild Headquarters was informed, but the messengers also visited the homes of
powerful familias. From there, word spread to the gods and down the ranks to
lower-class adventurers. However, due to the fact that not much time had passed,
only Loki and Finn's small group had arrived on the scene.
Merchants and travelers trying to exit or enter the city excitedly talked among
themselves when Loki arrived. "Dahh…" The goddess pinched the bridge of her
nose in an attempt to stave off a headache as she looked up at the sky.
"Finn."
"Sorry. I can't predict what gods will do…"
Loki glanced at Finn, clearly wanting to say something. The prum man wiped
the side of his face with his hand.
The actions of Hestia and Ares were impossible for mere mortals to
comprehend. Being forced to come along for the ride had taken its toll on
"Braver," his face showing signs of stress.
"So tell me…What genius let Itty-Bitty through the gate in the first place?
Oh, was it you, Ganesha?"
"…I-I am Ganesha?"
"Hey, where's yer usual spunk?"
Loki's bad mood was apparent in her glare. Ganesha shrank back, striking a
meek pose.
The usually energetically loud deity was barely audible as he explained the
sequence of events that led up to Hestia's capture.
"So then, you bein' an idiot, you let her through the gate?"
"Uh, yes."
"That mask stranglin' yer brain? It looks stupid enough, ya don't hafta go
actin' the part, ya mondo moron!"
"…Because I…I am Ganesha!"
"I wasn't askin'!"
"Guild, y'all take 'im away!" Loki yelled at the uniformed gate guards.
"Noooo!" wailed Ganesha, his head in his hands. Meanwhile, his bodyguards
and members of his familia working with the Guild glared at him with "We told
you so" written all over their faces.
"Jyaga Boobies, why you gotta go an' make things harder than they gotta
be…?"
After taking a look around at the injured gate guards lying on the ground,
Loki looked up into the sky and spat her own dissatisfaction into the air.
"Rakia kidnapped Itty-Bitty…meanin' they're after the Crozzo Magic
Swords again?"
"Looks like it. Most likely, they'll demand magic swords or Welf Crozzo
himself in exchange for her release…No matter what we do, a rift will divide
Orario."
The City of Orario wasn't a united fortress. Even if the Guild were to use all
the resources at its disposal to drive Rakia away, the deities closest to Hestia—
especially the powerful and influential Hephaistos Familia—would object to
how the situation was handled, and the city would be split into two different
camps. If worse came to worst, these divisions would expose them to threats
from other countries and cities.
"Losing our advantage in such a stupid manner could really hurt our
reputation…" mumbled Finn under his breath.
"We must retrieve Goddess Hestia before the enemy forces reach their own
territory. Failure to do so could be catastrophic."
"Dahh, damn! Why do I gotta be the one to clean up Itty-Bitty's mess?"
Finn frowned as he started to explain what could happen while Loki tugged
at her hair next to him.
More adventurers and gods were arriving at the scene, their reactions to the
grave situation ranging from concern to the interested glee of the deities. A
strategic meeting got under way immediately.
"Loki, Finn."
"Hey, Aiz, you're here. What about Riveria and the twins?"
"I'm the only one. And…"
Loki Familia's other top-class adventurers hadn't been at home when the
messenger explained the news, meaning that Aiz was the first one to arrive. She
had brought a group of her lower-ranking allies with her, along with Hermes,
Asfi, Miach, and lastly, Bell.
As if pulled forward by Aiz's sweeping gaze, Bell rushed up to Loki and Finn
with fire in his veins.
"Is…is it true? Lady Hestia's been kidnapped…?"
"…I'll give you the short version. Bell Cranell, listen up."
Aiz had partially brought the boy up to speed but had been missing several
details. Finn concisely filled in the blanks. Bell was white as a sheet by the time
Finn's explanation was complete.
"Where is she now?"
"We don't know. To make matters worse, Rakia's forces dispersed into three
groups going north, west, and east respectively. No one has been dispatched to
hunt them down as of yet."
Bell leaned forward, his eyes begging for more information. Finn's calm
demeanor didn't falter as he answered.
"There's one other obstacle that I hate to admit," said Finn as he led into the
next piece of information.
Since Orario's familias were largely forbidden to exit the city wall, Rakia's
forces in the middle of executing their sixth invasion were much more familiar
with the geography surrounding the city.
"They might know the best roads, passages through the mountains, and secret
shortcuts that will allow them to reenter their territory as quickly as possible.
Catching up with their main army will be extremely difficult," he continued.
Color drained from Bell's face with each passing word. Hermes was
listening, too, and nudged Miach with his shoulder.
"It might be a good idea to tell Lilly and the other kiddos," he quietly
whispered into the other deity's ear. Miach gave a quick nod and turned in the
direction of Hearthstone Manor.
"—Loki, Finn. I'll go."
Aiz could see the beginnings of panic appearing on Bell's face, and she
stepped in front of him.
The Sword Princess was known for her aloof nature. Stepping forward like
this not only caught her god and allies by surprise, but even the surrounding
adventurers donned shocked expressions.
"Hold up, Aizuu. Ya don't need to go outta yer way to bail out Itty-Bitty. The
search is gonna be one hell of a pain in the ass, combing the forest and whatnot
as it is…"
"But someone must go."
"Ughh…"
"And the fastest one here is me."
Loki flinched with every point Aiz made. The blond girl's eyes were serious
and focused as she made an unrefutable argument.
Even if pitted head to head against her general, Finn, Aiz would win in a foot
race. No one was able to object to this suggestion from one of Orario's best topclass adventurers.
As for Bell…
Despite not having much involvement with Hestia, the resoluteness in Aiz's
expression stirred something within him. Even his heart was trembling.
Setting all his fears and reservations aside, Bell stepped forward, even with
Aiz's shoulder.
"I-I'll go, too! I will…I will bring my goddess back!"
Bell took another step forward, closer to Loki than Aiz.
The goddess hadn't said anything to Bell, quietly observing the boy since his
arrival. Now she turned to address him directly.
"Weren't ya listenin', boy? Aiz already said she'd go. Ya fixin' to hold her
back?"
"…!"
"Think! What's yer Level? Ya know how far ya are behind. Hold yer
tongue."
One at Level 3, the other at Level 6.
There was quite a gap between Bell and Aiz, with the latter being many times
stronger. It was as simple as that.
It was the truth, but Loki's cool tone hit Bell like a smack in the face. Sensing
that the up-and-coming "Rookie" had a connection with one of her own, she
opened her vermilion eyes slightly more than usual as she watched the gears
turning in the boy's head.
Her words sent Bell reeling, unable to respond—but his hands clenched into
fists.
Bracing his shoulders, he roared with a might that even a goddess had to
acknowledge.
"I'm going! The goddess—Lady Hestia is part of my family!"
Bell's ruby-red eyes flashed, burning with sheer willpower. All he saw was
the task at hand; nothing else mattered. He channeled that determination into his
voice.
"I won't hold her back! I swear I will keep up with her every step! So
please…LET ME DO THIS!"
His voice went hoarse with desperation. The many other conversations
occurring at the staging area were overpowered by his plea as it hung in the air.
The few deities present, as well as the other adventurers, all craned their
necks to see what was going on. Despite Bell's display of willpower and
conviction, Loki didn't grant her permission.
Nor did she refuse.
" Do whatever ya want. You'll only just hold her back anyway. Aiz, feel
free to ditch 'im anytime."
"…Understood."
A few heartbeats passed before Aiz responded to her goddess. Bell, who
couldn't believe that the goddess had allowed him to accompany Aiz in the
pursuit of Hestia, threw his body into a deep bow and yelled, "Thank you so
much!"
Standing up again, the boy made eye contact with Aiz. Both shared a nod and
exchanged mutual gazes of encouragement. With that settled, the strategy
meeting picked up speed.
The other adventurers went to the Guild employees to ask them to look the
other way just this once and allow large groups through the gate without passes.
There was no time to wait for Guild Headquarters to fill out the necessary
paperwork, and the Guild employees present understood that—or rather, they
were forced to understand and nodded.
"I am Ganesha!" The god's loud voice led the confused merchants and
citizens away from the staging area as the adventurers quickly gathered
information about the possible routes Rakia's army might be using to retreat.
"There aren't enough people here to send out other search parties after Aiz
and Bell. Unfortunately, there's no time to wait for Bete or the twins. We'll lose
sight of the target."
"Trackin' down all the factions is gonna make everyone dead on their feet.
Like I said before, we're gonna hafta comb the forest…"
One god overheard Finn and Loki's conversation as they tried to come up
with the most efficient way to track down Hestia. He stepped forward.
"Could you leave that detail to me?"
Lifting his feathered hat off his orange hair and tipping it in her direction,
Hermes flashed his charming smile.
"God Hermes…"
"Asfi here can find Hestia's location without much trouble."
" What?!"
Keeping his gaze on Finn, Hermes reached around and grabbed Asfi by the
shoulder, dragging her forward with a grin on his lips. His follower had no idea
what was going on, but Hermes said it with the utmost confidence.
"That right? So, Dandy Man, what gives ya that idea…?"
"Come now, Loki. Asfi is Perseus—the Perseus. She has a few tricks up her
sleeve that can find our wayward goddess. All you have to do is ask."
Loki cocked an eyebrow in suspicion as Hermes put extra emphasis on Asfi's
title.
The head of Hermes Familia and possessor of the Advanced Ability
"Enigma" looked at Finn and the group gathered around them, sighing as if the
deepest part of her soul had grown tired of this.
Then Asfi straightened her spine, making her short blue hair and white scarf
flutter as she adjusted her glasses.
"…If I have thirty minutes, I most likely can."
Finn looked at her with a scrutinizing eye and licked the base of his right
thumb. "All right." He decided to put his faith in her. Loki intertwined her
fingers behind her head, smiling as if interested in seeing what Asfi could do.
Spare armor and equipment were being brought into the staging area left and
right. Bell hastily armed himself while listening to their conversation. Hermes
noticed the surprise on the boy's face and went to his side.
"This isn't much, but I'll do what I can to help. Bell, Kenki, bring Hestia
back safe and sound."
He said he didn't want this to be the way he had to say good-bye to her.
Bell was moved by Hermes's gesture to help a friend in need. He and Aiz
next to him both nodded right away.
"I will!"
"Understood."
As if it had been waiting for the adventurers to depart, the colossal gate
opened once again to beckon them forth.
"Lady Hestia was…?!"
The members of Hestia Familia were shocked to hear the news once Miach
arrived at their doorstep.
They were standing on the front lawn, the main door wide open. Mikoto cried
out, but it didn't take Welf ten seconds to figure out the reason why his goddess
had been abducted. It left him speechless.
Fists trembling, the words "You bastards…!" hissed from between clenched
teeth.
Now the goddess had been drawn into his family problem. Haruhime
watched him in silence, a look of concern on her face as the young man's blood
boiled. Meanwhile, Lilly rushed up to Miach with a sense of urgency.
Looking up at the tall god, she asked:
"Where is Mr. Bell right now?"
"At the city's north gate, awaiting Hestia's No."
Miach stopped midsentence and took back his words. He then turned to look
north.
Narrowing his eyes as he stared off into the distance, the look on the boy's
face before he left fresh in his memory, he amended his statement.
"He's left the north gate to go find Hestia himself by now."
Whistling wind and running feet.
Two adventurers, one with long blond hair and the other with short white
hair, navigated a steep mountain road at a speed that average people could never
dream of achieving.
Directly north from Orario was the Beor Mountain Range.
It was known for steep drop-offs and incredibly dangerous paths. Clearing
one mountain peak only brought several more peaks into view. For that reason, it
had been dubbed the "Mountain Castle." Since it was located so close to the
Dungeon entrance, monsters that had come to the surface during the Ancient
Times had taken up residence among its countless peaks, resulting in the area
being referred to as evil. That reputation and the rugged terrain meant that
adventurers hardly came out this way, even during the modern age.
The mountains themselves bore almost no vegetation, their ash-colored rocky
surfaces completely exposed. However, the areas between the sharp cliffs in the
deep valleys were filled with green. One look toward the horizon showed many
stark mountaintops separated by grand cliff sides and brilliant forests.
Bell and Aiz ran through the unforgiving terrain of the Beor Mountain Range
underneath a gray sky.
It went without saying that wild animals and even the occasional threatening
monster were quick to get out of their path.
One large-class monster, a bug bear, recklessly charged them but was
dispatched by the girl's saber, sliced in half in the blink of an eye.
Monsters on the surface were much weaker than their brethren within the
Dungeon. Even so, the only sound Bell could hear as he ran by the carcass still
spewing blood into the air was the incessant pounding of his own heart.
"!"
As he gasped for breath, sweat flying off his pumping arms, his legs were a
blur beneath him.
Bell pushed his body to the limit, yet the female knight at the edge of his
vision was putting even more distance between them.
So fast!
The moment they left Orario, Aiz had blazed forward with the strength of a
gale wind, nearly knocking him off his feet.
The difference in their physical abilities was plain. The stark gap between
them was even more evident by the time they had entered the mountain range.
She never once lost her balance on the rising and falling slopes, had enough
leg strength to shatter the rock face with each step, and possessed a seemingly
limitless amount of endurance and power. The truly scary thing about this
display was that not a single droplet of sweat had been shed despite her vigorous
pace.
The distance between Bell and the top-class adventurer continued to increase.
He had been confident in his Agility, but by this point it had been shattered and
ground into dust. No matter how hard he pushed, her back kept getting smaller in
the distance.
"HaAH…HAaa…haaa…gah…haah…!"
No matter how much of the cool, crisp mountain air he tried to pull into his
lungs, it was no use.
Leg muscles pushed to their upper limit, arms pumping with all his might,
eyes bone dry from the wind howling past his face, he cried out. Even squeezing
every bit of strength out of his body couldn't prevent the girl from going farther
and farther into the distance. It was brutal.
Kenki, Aiz Wallenstein. Bell's goal, his idol. A flower blooming on the top of
a mountain far above.
He could clearly see the distance, the canyon that separated them.
A difference in pure strength that he never even tasted during training
sessions with her on top of the city wall.
His current standing, as well as hers, was a visual demonstration of how far
above him she actually was.
Thinking he was closing the gap seemed like nothing more than a joke at this
point. He wasn't any closer to that higher plane where she resided; he simply had
a better view of it. The path to that summit in front of him was high, extremely
steep.
His conviction to save Hestia compelled him to try to stay at her pace, but his
body was already screaming in protest. It couldn't hold out much longer.
Lungs and throat burning with pain more intense than he'd ever felt before,
Bell could tell that his legs were about to give out—when suddenly…
Aiz looked back at him.
" "
The side of her face barely peeked over her shoulder.
She didn't bother slowing down to check on him.
She watched the boy's shoulders pitifully heave up and down as he gasped
for breath for a few moments, before increasing her pace.
—She was holding back.
"!!"
Seeing that lit a new fire within Bell, his whole body flaring up.
Shame and a desire not to lose provided the spark. His pride as a man served
as the fuel.
An intense desire to not look like a pathetic fool fanned the flames in his
heart into a thundering roar. Legs on the verge of giving up were suddenly
revitalized. Bell kicked the ground with enough power to crack the rocks in his
path, determined to catch up with her.
Expecting a battle, other adventurers had graciously provided him with armor
—a breastplate, with shoulder and back armor. He tore them all from his body
and tossed them away. The pieces of metal tumbled down the mountainside in
his wake.
Feeling a bit lighter than before, Bell pushed himself to the brink yet again
and managed to gain some ground.
"…"
Aiz silently watched the surges of emotion on the boy's face as he
desperately tried to keep pace with her footsteps.
The female knight's delicate, doll-like expression didn't change as she turned
forward again. Placing her faith in the boy, she increased her speed.
After a moment of stunned shock, the boy followed suit, zipping through the
mountainscape like a deft white rabbit in a frantic dash to keep up.
Bell following behind her, Aiz raced up the rugged terrain and happened to
cast her gaze toward the sky.
Drip. A single droplet of moisture ran down her face. Thick gray clouds
blocked out the sun overhead.
The mountainside became dotted with the first sprinkles of rain. Aiz couldn't
have cared less, but her golden eyes spotted something else and focused.
A white shadow was circling in the sky, its wings open wide.
"BAH-HA-HA-HA-HA! At last, Orario will get what's coming to them!"
Deep in the Beor Mountain Range, Ares's triumphant howl echoed through a
mountain road overlooking a beautiful green valley.
The battalion of about thirty soldiers was all dressed to look like travelers.
Rakia's main strike force accompanied their god through the twisting mountain
roads and had already put a great deal of distance between themselves and the
City of Orario. Every so often, a monster would jump out from behind a boulder
or from inside a cave, but the Level 2 captains and the Level 3 generals
demonstrated why they were the pride of Rakia and quickly dispatched it.
Ares watched these battles from atop his horse, in extremely high spirits as
his followers protected him.
"Hey! Ares! What's the big idea? Put me down right now! There are
boundaries to what you can and can't do, even if we've known each other since
Tenkai!"
"Shut your powerless mouth, puny goddess! You are nothing more than a
hostage to be exchanged for the Crozzo boy! Consider it an honor to have a role
to play in my grand design!"
"Who you calling puny, you jerk?!"
Hestia, tied to the back plate of Ares's armor, furiously swung her arms and
legs about in every direction.
Tying the ropes himself, Ares had forced her to come with them. The young
goddess lacked the strength to loosen the tight ropes, let alone break free. The
most she could do was squirm, kick, and punch, but…"Sit still!!" roared Ares as
he drove his heavily armored elbow into her ribs.
"UGHFF!" She groaned in anguish. "So I'm a hostage, am I…?"
Hestia had been almost knocked unconscious when she was captured, but
now that she could tell left from right, she understood her situation.
Knowing that pitching in at her part-time job had led to this was a hard pill to
swallow, and it filled her with regret. Orario was probably descending into chaos
at this very moment.
"Don't go thinking you'll get away with this! Bell—all the adventurers of
Orario will catch up to you in no time!"
"Will they, now? Our strike forces split into three battalions, all of us
executing several maneuvers to cover our tracks. Can they find the right one?"
"Ugh…"
"Take a look around, this is the Beor Mountains! We're so far in that victory
was almost assured the moment we made it through the last pass."
They had divided their forces in an effort to confuse their pursuers. It was
highly unlikely that their location would be discovered overnight. Ares pushed
his point even further by saying that the treacherous terrain would bar search
parties, thereby increasing the amount of time it would take to thoroughly search
the mountains. She had no chance of being rescued.
"Uga-ga-gahh…! Then at least carry me like the prize that I am! Your armor
keeps poking me! It really hurts, you know?"
"It's not my fault that I can't trust my cowardly, worthless soldiers after a
series of unthinkable blunders! I get no pleasure from having a useless goddess
like you strapped to my back! You'll contaminate me!"
Hestia continued yelling at the top of her lungs without denying Ares's claim.
But the god didn't back down, saying they should share the discomfort.
Her back strapped to his and the ropes pulling every joint, she was in
considerable pain. Eyes filled with tears, she howled, "What do you take me
for?"
Although they knew each other from their time in Tenkai, Ares had been fond
of causing disorder, while Hestia was known for keeping to herself and finding
her own entertainment. Being so different, these two would never see eye to eye.
Marius walked next to the two crude divine beings, who were having an
argument for the ages. "Haaah…" He let out a long sigh.
"…Looks like rain."
Drip. A raindrop ran down the bridge of his nose, prompting Marius to look
up to the sky.
He was right. The gray clouds overhead started to open, and sheets of rain
descended from the heavens. Within moments, a light drizzle had escalated to a
downpour. Travelers' cloaks and warriors' armor soaked through in a matter of
moments.
The same was true for Hestia and Ares. "Ak-choo!" The young goddess's
entire body spasmed as a sneeze came screaming out of her nostrils.
"Prince Marius, it would be wise to halt our advance and seek shelter from
the rain…I worry for Lord Ares's health."
"No…I'd like to proceed to the northern border. Don't forget that our enemy
is Orario. We mustn't leave anything to chance. Also, that boneheaded deity
won't catch a cold. There are more important things to worry about."
Marius rejected the advice of a nearby soldier, adding that he didn't want to
run the risk of being surrounded by monsters at the same time. He pressed on,
knowing that every one of the soldiers under his command carried Ares's Falna,
his Blessing. This amount of rain wasn't enough to make anyone sick.
Then, out of the corner of his eye…
A strange shadow passed overhead, just close enough to get his attention.
"…A bird?"
The line of fully armored knights looked up into the sky as the falling rain
peppered them.
A white shadow was circling just above them, with something that resembled
flapping wings stretching out from its body. A creeping feeling of uneasiness
went up Marius's spine.
The wind was starting to pick up, yet this bird showed no signs of taking
cover. Not only that, there were times when it hovered in one spot. The prince
racked his mind, trying to find an explanation, but a heartbeat later…
"K-KENKIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!"
A man screamed as if he had seen the oncoming apocalypse. His voice was
loud enough to make Marius flinch.
"Wha—?"
While he didn't completely believe the soldier, he hastily turned to face the
rear ranks.
They were halfway up the side of a mountain, the road overlooking a cliff.
Sure enough, there was a human figure ascending the steep path at blinding
speed.
Wet blond hair stood out like a beacon amid the rocks and rain. Golden eyes
locked onto him as water droplets bounced off the female knight. Marius
screamed.
"Holy! Aiz Wallenstein, the Sword Princess!"
"We—WE'RE UNDER ATTAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!"
The blond-haired, golden-eyed knight attacked with a vigor that would have
given Tiona, "Amazon the Slasher," a run for her money. Her thin saber whistled
through the air as she ran headlong into the rear of their formation. Screams
echoed to the mountains, causing Ares and the forward generals to stop and turn
their mounts around to have a look. Marius, however, cast his gaze back to the
sky.
As hard as it was for him to believe, his eyes identified golden wings, a white
scarf, and the forelimbs of a person.
That was no bird—but an adventurer.
"Since when did Orario obtain the power to conquer the skies…?"
An "eye in the sky" had nullified the dangerous terrain and spotted them
from a distance.
A girl with aqua-blue hair was still circling over their heads, signaling their
location. Marius frowned as the famed Perseus put the immense power of the
magic item Talaria, her winged sandals, on display.
A new scream echoed through the mountain range the moment Marius fully
comprehended what was going on.
"GAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
A whirlpool of slashes thrashed soldier after soldier.
One swing of Aiz's saber sent several of them to the ground or hurtling
through the air at once.
The War Princess's path was paved with shrieks of pain and fear as she
bulldozed a trail into the middle of their formation, where the mounted deity
resided with a goddess tied to his back.
"Wall-Wallensomething…?!"
Hestia's eyes went wide. Ares, on the other hand, donned a ferocious grin.
He thrust out his heavily armored right hand in an attempt to raise the morale
of his followers.
"Stand your ground, my soldiers! While this turn of events was unexpected,
there is only one enemy, and we have the mightiest general of the Rakian army
on our side! Go, Garyu! Trample that feeble girl into dust!"
"Lord Ares, Garyu and his battalion have fallen!"
"HE WHAT?!"
It was over in the blink of an eye.
A group of bearded, muscular soldiers literally trembled in their boots in the
face of the blond-haired, golden-eyed knight before collapsing in her wake.
Ares ground his teeth together the moment he spotted his once-proud
generals facedown on the ground.
"Damn you! So…so it's come to this…!"
"Uphh!"
Ares cut the rope that bound Hestia to his back and jumped off his horse.
Hestia fell to the ground in a heap as Ares, free from the unwanted cargo,
drew a longsword from a sheath hanging from the horse's saddle.
"Come at me, Kenki!! I'll deal with you myself!"
"…"
"UWAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"
Ares roared as he charged. Aiz was silent as she kept slashing her way
through Rakian soldiers.
Shing! A dull metallic echo rang out. The deity's longsword had been sliced
in half.
"N-not bad…!"
"The hell are you doing?"
Ares paused for a moment, shocked that his weapon had been broken on first
contact. Marius witnessed everything unfold and dove into the fray to protect
him.
His moronic god had just attacked a top-class adventurer on impulse. Marius
was quickly joined by every other soldier in the vicinity, forming a wall of
muscle and steel in front of Ares. The spot descended into chaos, swords
clashing amid even more shrieks of pain.
" Goddess!!"
"Ah…Bell!"
A boy charged his way into the mountainside battle.
Following the path that Aiz had cleared, he arrived one step behind her. All
the soldiers were busy contending with the blond knight, and he seized this
chance to reach Hestia.
The sight of her follower brought a smile to Hestia's face. She stood up to
greet him but—.
She tripped over the legs of one of the soldiers desperately trying to defend
Ares.
" "
Pushed backward by the sudden impact, she stumbled toward the cliff that led
to the valley below.
Her twin black ponytails seemed to float in midair for a split second before
she fell over the side.
Making brief eye contact with Bell, the goddess plunged straight into the
gorge overlooking the rough river rapids below.
" !!"
Bell kicked off the ground.
Hestia in his sights, he cut through the rain and flew off the edge of the cliff
in pursuit.
As the stone face of the mountain whizzed by, her hand reached out. Hestia's
eyes trembled as she saw Bell hurtling like an arrow toward her and reached up
for him.
The moment Bell felt her hand in his, he pulled her against his body and
embraced the goddess.
From there, the boy held her tiny body against his chest and plunged straight
into the river.
"!!"
Aiz was taking down one soldier after another, but she could still hear the
faint sound of a splash from far below.
She broke away from the battle without a moment's hesitation and dove over
the cliff in pursuit of the boy and his goddess.
It was a deep gorge, and the mountainside was steep. However, Aiz was close
enough to the side to kick off the rock, and she practically ran down the
mountain at breakneck speed.
"Bell Cranell, Aiz Wallenstein…!"
Asfi watched it all unfold from her vantage point in the sky.
She couldn't hide her surprise at this unforeseen turn of events in their
mission to rescue the goddess. She'd been sent here to mark the location of
Rakia's army using Talaria. She had to go after them but hesitated for a moment.
Unfortunately, that moment cost her.
"!"
"Forget that goddess! Shoot down the spy in the sky!"
Asfi had drifted close enough to the ledge that she was in range of the chain
Marius swiftly threw into the air. It wrapped around her arm and locked in place.
Hot pain tore through her muscles. Taking her eyes off the gorge and looking
at the ledge, she saw Marius clutching the other end of the chain.
"A mythril chain…!"
"Without her, Orario's forces have no chance of finding us! We can't let her
escape!"
Marius urgently called out to the few soldiers still able to move after their
encounter with Aiz. Wrapping the immensely sturdy chain around his own arm,
Marius was determined not to let Asfi get away.
"What is the meaning of this?!" roared Ares as several soldiers held him
back. However, the second-in-command had adjusted to the changing
circumstances and ordered the rest to eliminate Asfi.
"Marius Victrix Rakia—I had heard you were the son of the Moronic King,
but you seem to have a decent head on your shoulders…!"
"I've heard interesting things, too, Perseus! Like how a god stole you, a
beautiful young princess, from an island nation, and how you fell through the
ranks of society to become an adventurer! Not as if that nation would ever admit
it!"
The two sides of the tug-of-war antagonized each other.
It was a test of strength between him and an upper-class adventurer. Asfi, on
the other hand, gently smiled at the prince of Rakia, who had displayed superior
decision-making ability in battle, and complimented him. Marius shouted back at
the top of his lungs, his expression far less relaxed as he glared at his airborne
opponent. He channeled every ounce of strength into his arms and grip.
"It appears we have much in common—I sense that you have the same rotten
luck that I do."
"—Those eyes! Enough with the sympathy! Don't look at me as if you know
my pain!"
They were both at the mercy of their gods' whim, often pulled along for a
ride they couldn't control. Asfi looked down at the man with an empathizing
look on her face. It made Marius writhe in agony.
"My prince!" "My prince!" Exhausted soldiers wailed as they surrounded
their vice commander, desperately calling out to him as they moved into
position.
Her movement restrained by the rigid chain, Asfi came under fire of
countless arrows and magic spells. Her white scarf torn to shreds and skin
covered in burns, Perseus grimaced in pain.
She could feel her hair plastered to her cheeks by the pouring rain. Bell and
Aiz were already out of sight, so she prioritized her own escape from this battle.
Dodging another wave of arrows, she withdrew a vial of blast oil from her
holster.
An explosion echoed through the mountain range and drowned out the
sounds of battle, until it faded into the pounding of rain and the river rapids from
far below.
The rain's not letting up.
Waves of water come rushing down the side of the mountain faster and faster,
and the storm shows no signs of lifting whatsoever.
Trapped in a deafening tunnel of sound, swept up by a raging river through
the gorge between mountains, I make my way to the riverbank and manage to lift
the goddess up and out of the water. I climb out next to her in time to see that
Aiz has followed us.
I get to my feet, swing the goddess over my back, and we race off along the
riverbank.
"How is she?"
"Her body is getting colder and colder! She's not answering me, either…!"
Even I can hear how close I am to tears, yelling like this.
"Haah…haah…" Her chin is resting on my shoulder, so I can hear the weak
breaths coming in and out of her mouth.
We're losing body heat. The same is true for Aiz, her soaking-wet armor slick
and shiny. But the goddess and I are much worse off, having actually fallen into
the river.
For Aiz and me, this amount of rain is no big deal. Our leveled-up Statuses
make our bodies hardy enough to withstand it. Unfortunately, that's not true for
the goddess. While she survived the plunge into the river, I can't feel any heat on
my back, and her limbs are limp.
The gods and goddesses came to this world to enjoy a "game," and therefore
they had to follow a set of rules.
The most important one is that no one can use their divine power, Arcanum.
Without those all-powerful abilities, the deities are physically the same as people
without a Blessing, or perhaps even weaker. Sure, they never age and never die,
staying more or less the same for all eternity, but they're not immune to the
common cold or getting really sick.
I hear it's all an "adjustment" to enjoy everything that Earth has to offer, or
perhaps they're being flexible.
"If we don't find shelter soon…!"
The goddess won't last long like this. I've never heard of Arcanum being
activated and the deity abruptly being sent back to Tenkai because of an illness,
but that does nothing to ease her pain.
The current took us pretty far downriver, so I have no idea where we are right
now. Aiz being here isn't much help as long as we're stuck out in the rain.
"I could break open the cliff face and make a cave…"
Heat is what I want, not shelter. Every minute the goddess stays this cold puts
her in even more danger.
Making fire isn't the issue; Firebolt can take care of that instantly. The
problem is keeping the fire going. We have to find dry kindling and a protected
spot away from the river and out of the rain where we can rest and recover.
There has to be a place like that farther along, I'm sure of it…!
Muscles in my face tense as I listen to Aiz speak and look up at the top of the
unbelievably deep gorge. There's nothing to obstruct my view of the dark-gray
sky as it continues to mercilessly drop an endless stream of rain on top of us.
"
KIYAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!"
"!"
A high-pitched squawk reaches my ears as we continue to race through the
gorge.
Countless shadows descend on us from above and into the path ahead, the
sound of flapping feathered wings accompanying them.
"Harpies!"
The descendants of the original monsters that emerged from the Dungeon
millennia ago and settled here in the Beor Mountain Range are swarming in to
attack us!
Harpies: half-human/half-bird, bizarrely female-looking monsters.
They look like women from the waist up, even have breasts. But both
forearms are much larger than a human's, forming wings the size of shields.
Everything from the waist down is covered in dirty feathers. Just like a hawk or
eagle, both legs end with sharp sets of talons.
As for their faces—it would be easy to say they look like a woman's, but
they're actually quite different from humanity as a whole.
First off, their mouths are full of sharp fangs, and their skin is riddled with
wrinkles. To be blunt, they're horrifying. If I have to describe it, I'd say they
look like overly obsessed old women. But no, a wizened old lady is much more
beautiful than these things.
Their bodies may be close to what we're familiar with, but they're far more
revolting than the normal monsters in the Dungeon. That's probably because of
the putrid smell emanating from their bodies. It makes me want to rip my nose
off my face.
Why now…?
They're swarming in like birds of prey, stark golden eyes flashing
menacingly. I glare back at them and thrust my right hand forward, taking aim at
the middle of the flock of harpies. I'm one breath away from unleashing my
magic when I hear:
"Keep running."
Wind whistles by my ears.
I hear the unmistakable sound of a sword being removed from its sheath, and
my eyes catch a flash of blond hair. The next thing I know, every harpy in our
path falls to the ground in pieces.
Shrill squawks and fountains of blood fill the air. Aiz has sparked confusion
among the harpies, and her eyes sharpen into a glare just as acute as her blade.
" KAAWWW!"
The air is suddenly flooded with countless black feathers falling to the
ground like the rain.
The blond-haired, golden-eyed knight is running up the side of the gorge,
dashing through the air, and slicing her way to the other side so fast I can't keep
up with her. The birds of prey surrounding us on all sides let out high-pitched
squawks as her blade carves them into cold cuts. I do exactly as she tells me and
keep running with the goddess on my back. Meanwhile, there are constant
streaks of gold and silver light going up, down, and all around us like a dome
that shreds any monster that gets too close.
It's like her saber is creating a barrier of protection around us.
I know I'm being protected and all, but seeing her pull this off so easily, it's
impressive and awe-inspiring at the same time. I'm running as fast as I can, but I
can't help straining my eyes trying to watch her in action.
—She's very, very strong. Too strong.
Pa-loosh! Pa-loosh! While I was busy gawking, several de-winged monsters
fall into the raging river and get swallowed up by the waves. I'm dodging
carcasses one after another, and there's no telling how many hundreds of them
are behind me along the riverbank.
The rain washes away the blood splattered against the mountain face.
"…What's that?"
Then, when the last squawk of the final harpy rings out…
Aiz lands on a boulder not too far in front of me and turns forward, as though
she's noticed something out of place.
I look in that direction—there's a light wavering in the distance, a magicstone lamp. What's more, it's coming this way.
"Hello out there! Anybody here?"
A human voice rises over the crashing waves of the rapids.
Aiz and I exchange glances and nods before rushing off in that direction.
Crackle, crackle. Sounds from the fireplace fill the room.
Everything here is cast in an orange light and flooded with warmth. The heat
washes over me, embracing my cold body in a warm hug. My eyelids get heavy,
but I shake my head every time sleep threatens to overtake me.
The goddess is lying in the bed in front of me, sleeping peacefully. I sit
quietly, holding her right hand with both of mine.
"How is the goddess doing?"
"Ah, Mr. Kam…She's all right. Fell asleep a little while ago."
I hear a knock at the door, look up to see an elderly gentleman named Kam,
and stand to greet him. A human girl a little older than me is at his side. "I'm
glad," he says with a smile of relief.
—We came to this place, Edas Village, after we were fortunate enough to run
into someone in the gorge.
Edas Village is located deep in the Beor Mountain Range. Surrounded by
steep cliffs, it's a well-hidden small town in one of the valleys. Aiz and I were
extremely surprised that a place like this existed when we came to it. Who
would've thought people lived way out here?
After we explained the situation to the young men who came to check on the
river, they brought us here, and the villagers immediately offered to help. The
village elder, Kam, opened his home to us. Not only is the goddess resting in one
of his guest rooms, but he gave me a change of clothes as well.
Words can't express how grateful I am for his help. I bow to the elder once
again.
"I can't thank you enough. You saved my goddess…"
"Raise your head, young Bell. This is the least I can cough, cough!" He
couldn't finish a sentence before breaking into a coughing fit.
The girl at his side supports him with both hands as the old man bends over,
trying to catch his breath between coughs. The girl, maybe his daughter, urges
him to go back to his room, with a concerned look on her face.
Kam slowly raises his hand, telling her he's all right, and gradually stands up
straight.